Lawmaker critical of IAEA’s Iran report

A top Iranian MP has censured the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for focusing on minor matters rather than regulatory issues in its latest report on Iran’s nuclear program.

Matters of contention or ambiguous points in our cooperation with the IAEA are considered “minor issues” and highlighting them in the report lacks legal justification and flies in the face of the UN nuclear watchdog’s regulations, said Chairman of Majlis Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy Alaeddin Boroujerdi, quoted by IRNA on Tuesday.

The major issue in Iran’s nuclear activity is diversion or non-diversion from the right track as in previous reports. To this end, the IAEA has once again reaffirmed that Iran has not deviated from its binding regulations, said Boroujerdi.

He further questioned IAEA’s rejection of Tehran reason for the expulsion of two IAEA inspectors from the country.

Having a say on the choice of inspectors is a privilege that all IAEA members are entitled to, and that includes Iran which reserves the right to reject inspectors on the basis of their background and past performances,” Boroujerdi emphasized.

The Iranian lawmaker also dismissed as false IAEA’s claims about Iran’s ban on inspection of Arak’s heavy water reactor, insisting that inspection of this reactor is not within the framework of the IAEA safeguards.

IAEA’s Director General Yukiya Amano on Monday released its latest report on Iran’s nuclear work, in which he once gain confirmed that the agency continued to “verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material in Iran.”

The report, however, urged Iran to “cooperate in clarifying outstanding issues” and suspend its uranium enrichment activities.

The Islamic Republic says it has been fully cooperating with the IAEA, reiterating that it has answered all questions regarding its nuclear work.